Pause for Thought

Reverend Duncan Goldie, United Reformed Church & Methodist Minister, Cheap Street Church

This month we will as a country be celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It promises to be a weekend of street parties, concerts and events which hopefully everyone will find a way of joining in, whether in person or simply watching the celebrations on television. The Queen is our longest ever serving monarch and most people living in our country today have not known any other.

On the Queen’s 21st birthday, the then Princess Elizabeth said in a radio broadcast from Cape Town: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.’ That sense of dedication has remained a guiding principle throughout her reign.

The world today is very different in many ways from the one in which the Queen acceded to the throne but her principles of love and service endure. The Queen has always clearly expressed her Christian faith while respecting the faiths of others.

What the world will be like in another 50 or 70 years’ time is hard to imagine. It was not so long ago that we lived without computers, social media, sat-nav and e-mail, when the alternative to a telephone call was to post a letter. Whether modern communications are a blessing or a curse, depends not on the technology, but on the principles upon which it is based.

God envisioned a year-long Jubilee every 50th year. It was to be a time of rest and remission. Slaves were freed and land that had changed hands was returned to the original owners. The idea being, that life was to be fair and just, and that no one should be permanently disadvantaged. In our ever-changing world, it is important that we seek to build our lives as individuals and as a society, on fairness, justice and respect if we are to make the most of our God-given talents for the benefit of others.

So enjoy the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – together we celebrate a remarkable 70-year reign based on love, service, and respect.

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